…most running injuries are not caused by footwear?

Spring is here and the running season is already in full swing with numerous events. No wonder: The pleasant temperatures provide great motivation to lace up our running shoes, run through nature as it awakens from its winter sleep, or even compete with others at an event.

Be careful when startin

If you’ve trained consistently throughout the winter months, you’ll be pleased to see that the longer days enable you to run on unlit routes in the evenings without any problems.

However, if you are only just starting your training, then you need to take a gentle approach. Because two points should not be forgotten:

1. The musculoskeletal system first needs to get used to the eccentric training again
2. Increasing the scope by more than 10% per week usually leads to injury

Footwear also plays an important role here. At least that is what has been assumed so far. After reviewing studies from the past 40 years, a Danish research project has now come to the conclusion that shoes do indeed have an impact on which training loads a runner can withstand before suffering an injury. However, the role of running shoe technology in the prevention of injuries may be overestimated.

The study revealed additional findings:

• Overpronators benefit from pronation supports
• Functionality and protection against injuries do not depend on the age of the shoes
• The price of a shoe is insignificant when it comes to injury prevention
• Performance can be positively influenced by certain shoes
• Wearing different shoe models reduces the risk of injury

What can we learn from this

• It’s all in the dose: Regardless of which shoes you wear, it is crucial that the volume is sensibly dosed according to your initial fitness level.
• If problems arise, you should always reduce the intensity of your individual running units first. If this does not lead to the desired improvement, the scope of the individual units should be reduced. And if this doesn’t help either, then you should run less often.
• Running training isn't just about running. Just as you wouldn’t live on salad alone, you need to make sure your running training consists of a colourful mix of endurance, strength, coordination, speed, and flexibility.
• If you always give your body the time it needs to recover, you can drastically reduce the risk of injury.

Foto: iStock.com/Ridofranz